Trolley and harp therefor.



No. 873,419. v PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907. S. F. ESTELL & F. W. G. PHILLIPS. TROLLBY AND HARP THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8. 1907.

EEEEEEEEEEEEE 1.

PATENTED DEGJO, 1907. s. F. ESTBLL & F. w. G. PHILLIPS.

TROLLEY AND HARP THEREFOR? APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HHIIHIHHIIHTTTT l v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL F. ESTELL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AND FREDERICK W. G. PHILLIPS, OF

WILMETTE, ILLINOIS.

TROLLEY AND HARP THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Application filed August 8- 1907- Serial No. 387.701.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL F. ESTELL and FREDERICK W. G. PHILLIPS, citizens of trate in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to trolleys for use .in connection with electric cars, and the harp for carrying the trolley; its object being to provide improved means for so mounting the trolley that it may tilt laterally and yield vertically with reference to the harp, means also being provided for returning it to the vertical position after tilting.

The invention consists in the various details of construction hereinafter described, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of the trolley and harp; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same showing a slightly modified form of construction; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a central section of the trolley; Fig. 5 is a detail section of the axle on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a side view of the axle showing a modified form of construction, some parts being broken away and shown in section; Fi 7 is a side view of the axle of Fig. 6 from a iiferent point of View; and Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the trolley removed from the axle.

A portion of the stem of the harp is shown at 10 and is adapted to be attached to a trolley pole in any suitable manner. The side arms of the harp are represented at 11, 12, and each arm is recessed from its under face, as shown at 13, the recess being so disposed that it will be substantially vertical when the trolley pole is in the position of service. The ends 14, 15, of the axle 16 are flattened to fit and slide within the recesses 13, and springs 17, 18, are secured to the outer faces of the trolley arms and bear upwardly against the axle ends and hold the same normally at the upper ends of the recesses within which they are fitted.

As a convenient means for anchoring the springs 17, 18, a pair of lugs, as 19, 20, is formed on each outer face of the harp, the

two lugs of each pair being spaced apart so as to receive the spring between them, and a rivet 21 being then passed through the lugs and the spring to retain the latter in place. A stop 22 is set in the outer face of each trolley arm to limit the downward movement of the axle. As shown, this stop takes the form of a screw so that it may be readily removed for disengaging the axle from the harp.

The axle is provided with a s herical bearing 23 for the trolley 24, an the latter is made of two semi-circular sections 25, 26, and is provided with a hub 27, within which is formed a chamber complementary to the bearing 23, the outer ends of the hub having flaring apertures leading from its bearing surfaces to permit the free tilting of the trolley in all directions. The two sections of the trolley are secured together in any suitable manner, as shown in Fig. 3 by means of a pair of collars 28, 29, fitted upon the ends of the hubs, preferably being in threaded engagement therewith. InFig. 2 the two sections of the trolley are shown as bein united by screws, one of which is designate 41.

Means are provided for returning the trolley to the vertical position when tilted, and comprise a spring 30 fixed'to the hubs of the harp and projecting under the trolley and carrying at its outer or free end a roller 31, in

the form of a truncated cone, for engaging ley bearings, the axle is preferably centrally recessed to receive a solid lubricating element 33, such as a stick of graphite. This lubricating element will be of such length that its ends will conform to the contour of the spherical bearing and be constantly in engagement with the bearing surface of the trolley.

Preferably the axle is sectional, comprising a pair of segmental sections 34, 35, upon each of which is formed a portion of the spherical bearing, and a two-part central section is .shown at 36, 37, the combined length of these central sections being less than that of the axle, leaving between them the necessary space to receive the lubricating element. The several sections of the axle. are secured together by means of the screw 38. This construction of the axle provides means for gaining access to the lubricating element for the purposes of repair without dismembering the trolley. It is obvious that but for economy of construction the axle might be of a single piece, except as to one of the central sectional members 36 or 37, although when both are employed the axle may be readily removed from the trolley without disme1n bering the latter.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the axle 13 is of a single piece, having a central diametrical aperture 39 through its spherical bearing Within which is fitted a correspondingly-shaped lubricating element 40.

In use the trolley bears upwardly in the usual manner against the Wire X of the electric circuit. As it encounters joints or supporting brackets in the latter it may be depressed, flexing the springs 17 and 18, without depressing the trolley pole, and will be more quickly restored to contact with the wire than when the inertia of the heavy pole has to be overcome, thereby reducing the objectionable sparking. As curves are turned the trolley is tilted laterally, more readily accommodating itself to the exigencies of the situation and lessening the danger of its disengagement with the wire. When so tilted it engages the roller 31 and flexes the spring 30, which promptly restores it to the vertical position as soon as the deflecting strain is removed this spring-arm 30 also serving the useful purpose of maintaining the trolley in its vertical position when disengaged from the wire, thereby facilitatin its reengagement therewith. The longitudinal division of the trolley into two halves avoids the obj ectionable cricumferential joint at the point of bearing of the trolley against the wire, commonin sectional trolleys heretofore proposed.

By using a solid lubricant objectionable oil cups and chambers are rendered unnecessary, while the trolley may be adequately i lubricated for a long period without attention.

We claim as our invention 1. In combination, a rotatable trolley wheel having a peripheral groove and being mounted for universal movement in its bearings, and means engageable with the groove of the trolley for yieldingly maintaining it in central position. i

2. In combination, a rotatable trolley wheel having a peripheral groove and being mounted to tilt in its bearings, and means engageable with the groove of the trolley for yieldingly maintaining it in central position.

3. In combination, an axle [ixed against rotation and having a spherical bearing portion, a trolley having a peripheral groove and having its hub recessed to receive the spherical portion of the axle, and means ongageable with the peripheral groove of the trolley for yieldingly maintaining it in an. upright position on the axle.

4. In combination, a rotatable trolley having a peripheral groove and being mounted to tilt in its bearings, a guide roller engageable with the groove of the trolley, and an elastically flexible support for the roller.

5. In combination, a harp, an axle carried in the arms of the harp and having a spher ical bearing, a trolley comprising two semicircular sections and adapted to the axle bearing.

6. In combination, a harp, an axle carried in the arms of the harp and having a splierical bearing, a trolley comprising two semicircular sections and adapted to the axle bearing, and a collar fitted upon the ends of the trolley hub.

SAMUEL l llS'lEllli. FREDERICK W. G. IllllilillS.

Witnesses A. D. IVEs'rBnooK, J. B. IVATERBURY. 

